lawfull Queene herevpon followed jmmediatly the rebellion in the North and other dangerous conspiracies by your faction And to proue that Religion was not the cause of their Recusancy besides that which hath beene aboue sayd Scotland will testifie wherein albeit there haue beene and are many knowen Papists both men and women yet in all the time of King Iames his Raigne there nor yet since he raigned here haue any of thē absented thēselus or refused to come to our Churches in Scotland yet I make no question but you will say that the Romish religion is one and the same there that it is here you must needs then graunt that not religion but the Popes pleasure vnto whose girdle you are tyed is the cause of Recusancy and it behooueth his Maiestie to haue speciall regard vnto you that are Recusants and by all good meanes that he can to assure his owne estate in another regard then only that you will not interesse sacris with vs for Recusancy and Treason are so linked one in the other and compacted that hardly can hee bee a Recusant that is not a Traitour likewise See more hereof if you please in the 130 and 131. pages of Tortura Torti Recusants Seminarie Priests and Iesuites Traitors and seditious persons haue conspired against it had not the Lord himselfe miraculously defended it and maintained his Truth I need not instance particular deliuerances for who is he amongst vs that remembers not many But yet I cannot without ingratitude to God our most gracious preseruer ouer-slip in silence those two myracles of myracles to wit Our deliuerance from Spaines so falsely by them tearmed but blessed be God therefore inuincible Armado An. 1588. and from the mynes of fire and Gunpowder prepared by ympes of Hell for Englands Funerall An. 1605. which latter but that mine own eyes haue seene their preparations I should with Thomas scarcely haue belieued And no maruell though in Spain the report therof can with many hardly be credited for some at our own home that haue not with their owne eyes seene it or with their eares heard the Delinquents Viva voce confesse it can hardly yet conceaue halfe the malice therof it seemes to those that haue any sparkes of humanitie so passing cruell and incredible These if the Gospell must needs be confirmed by myracles are true myracles These are no counterfait jugling trickes or Popish jmpostures to delude the simple such as were the Sicknesse-healing Child or the Picture of the Traitour Garnets face in a wheat strawe found perhaps amongst a Popish Taylors wiues shreds or brought in in the belly of a Griffin or Gryfō intēding thereby the ruine of Troynovant as were the armed men of Yore in the bellie of Synons woodden horse for Troye the old its Destruction such as these we leaue to you to jnsert into your Legenda Aurea or Legend of lyes As for persecution for conscience against which in diuers of your pamphlets you so loudly cry the comparison of times for continuance wherein of persons for numbers in those times how many whose bloud on both sides haue been shed and the causes partly wherefore in the following Table will appeare But the grounds of religion contained in the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles on which we build our faith and the refutation of errors and false doctrine maintained by Romish Recusants Priests and Iesuites which in former times and in these times also haue do cause so great disturbances persecutions of the Church of Christ I leaue to bee defended by those graue and strong pillars of our Church and learned Fathers of our Clergie whose soundnesse in doctrine all the Papists in the world are vnable to evince Concerning that dishonour wherewith very frequētly but falsely as is well approued by the then Bishop of Chichester you taxe your Soueraigne Lord the Kings Maiestie for breach of promise with Recusants concerning a toleration of Popish religion that quantum in me est I may confute such vnjust exclamations against his Majesties Person and his Honour I will briefly touch that poynt by declaring not onely vnto you but vnto all the world that shall take notice hereof what mine owne eares heard in an open Court of mercy I may say rather then of justice in this case debated and censured The case stood betweene the Kings Majestie a great Peere of this Land amongst whose many grosse slippes and jnglorious acts this poynt was as the rest all which his Majestie was pleased nay as sayd the Lord Cooke then the Kings Attourney commanded that they should not otherwise bee handled then as matters of Contempt ripped vp and scanned His name I could particularly instāce but because it pleased my Soveraigne to deale with him not in rigor of law justice but meerly in Grace I hold it not my part othewise then what for clearing of the truth I needsly must him by name to disgrace Wherfore that I may helpe to wash away those aspertions of dishonour vnjustly throwen vpon his sacred Majesty by men of bad spirits and that like spots and staines neuer to be done away they may seat themselues within the muddy Circle of the duskie Moone their true Centre and not eclipse the bright honour of our splendant Sun glorious North-star I will here relate frō whence by much probabilitie this error at first sprange This noble fore-remembred Personage whose greatnesse addes a greatnes to his fault if I may linke Nobilitie with such jgnoble actions ambitiously as it should seeme affecting a singular greatnesse not at all regarding Religion as some haue thought further then as it might serue him as a ladder to promotion was in shew outwardly a seeming Protestant but vnder-hand and couertly willing to be held a Papist jnsomuch that by his close carriage hee was very honourablie thought of by his Majestie chosen by his Majestie to be very neere vnto him and yet neuerthelesse highly accompted of and respected amongst the Romanists for a sure friend of theirs vpon whom they might hold a Dependance Testified hereby that with his owne hands he deliuered and presented their Popish Supplication vnto his Majestie at Theobalds for a toleration in Anno. 1603. And that I may not seeme maliciously of my selfe without a ground to taxe him herein of ambition obserue with me that at his tryall by one for his learning judicious for his knowledge experienced in matters of State it was by euident arguments prooued that his proceedings argued a manifest Discontentmēt and withall that all discontentments proceeded from either want disgrace or ambition but not from want for his possessions and yearely revenues were exceding great not frō disgrace for his Majestie had many waies graced highly honoured him which graces as he then did so I now could particularly jnstance but that thereby I must needsly discouer his person and therefore of
deserue the like grace for the like jnfidelity Lastly if Iudas their fellow-traitor can any whit at all grace them because he is noted in the booke of God but with this foule addition Traitour let them likewise take him and make him a brother of their Company or rather jncorporate themselues into his Society but let all that beare ill will to the Church of England and the Kings Majestie as a principall member thereof let I say their ends oh God be like vnto their master Iudas and let their bowels breake in sunder that would eat out the bowels of thy Church of England and let this blacke word of Traitour bee the jndelible spot neuer to bee washed away wherewith I brand all English Italionated Priests and Iesuites and their Abbettors Adde to these also the Iacobine Fryer and Rauilack the two murtherers of two French kings Henry 3. Henry 4. for these are also Sons of one Father the Pope the Deuill their Grandfather and those before their brethren in iniquity neuer to be spoken of but to their shame with posterity the felicity of whose Raigne namely Henrie the 4. and peaceable gouernment free from danger of any desperate attempt of stabbing or poysoning or other attempt of perill to his person by any of Romes fauourites our english Popish Recusants scienter loquor before that inhumane and hellish fact committed pleaded and strongly argued to proceed from that lenitie of his in permitting a freedome of conscience to his subiects in matter of Religion whereby they would inferre that if our Kings Maiestie would desire to liue securely from any such attempts not needing to feare perill either by stabbing poysoning powder or otherwise then let a toleration be graunted but how sound their conclusion is France hath felt England may feare and all the world is amazed thereat For if the King of France being a Papist and at most but suspected to affect the Protestant Religion could not yet be secure in his person how much lesse can our King expect any assurance of saftie by a toleration his Majesty being himselfe a professed Protestant and directly opposite in Faith and Religion Nay it might rather bee much feared that it would bee a meanes to pull Gods just judgements vpon him and vs for permission of such false worshippe of the true God for so wee may read in diuers places of the Old Testament that when the Rulers of the people fell away from God God sent vpon them many plagues miseries and oppressions by their enemies And thus much in answere to the second poynt which my friend may obiect Thine in all Christian loue TO THE WHOLE rabble of English-borne Romish male-contents and disturbers of this State NOT HOPING hereby to reclaime you that are already by Sathans witchcrafts seduced from your many dangerous and pernitious errors which cleaue more fast vnto you then the skinne vnto the flesh or the flesh vnto the bones for that were Extra spem sperare a hope without any ground Nor yet in bitternesse of spirit onely purposing to rayle vpon you as many of you most jmpudently haue done against your owne Mother for that were want of charity nor any waies intending to giue satisfaction vnto your vnsatisfiable obstinacy and wilfull-willing blindnesse by reasoning scholastically or propounding and framing logicall or as you vse sophisticall arguments to conuince your follies for that would be in me presumption For what am I that after so many rare wits and vnrefutable iudgemēts in matters Diuine as haue already laboured your conversion I should hope of better successe therein then they before haue had I rather conclude with Abraham who told the rich man that desired a messenger to be sent from the dead to the liuing to warne them that they might auoyd the like daunger of comming there That if they will not belieue the Prophets neither would they belieue though one came frō the dead so if you will not be perswaded by the scriptures and the strong and vn-answerable arguments of such excellent Diuines as haue already laboured your convesion neither will you be perswaded though Christ himselfe should descend from heauen in person to confute you But my scope and drift herein is pro viribus First to preuent the fall of those who yet stand but are ready to fall Secondly to free my late Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth that sometimes peerelesse Prince and my now dread Soueraigne the Kings Majestie and their State-ministers from many false and Serpentine jmputations layd vppon them by men of your rancke of bad spirits whose throats are open Sepulchres wherein to burie true Honour Faith-keeping Grace Mercie Pittie Piety Protection Truth and Religion in eternall obliuion breathing out from thence as from the fournace of Hell insteed thereof nothing but Dishonour Breach of promise Disgrace Crueltie Bloud Want of deuotion Oppression Heresie and Irreligion These are the motiues that enforced my pen these the reasons of my non-silence who otherwise could haue been contented quietly and securely to haue reposed my selfe in the joyfull contemplation of Gods manifold blessings and mercies of an extraordinary nature towards this Nation by continuance of the Gospell amongst vs Which that it is the Truth and that he himselfe with his owne right hand hath planted it and defended it by the power of his owne arme the many strange Miracles for such say you must needs approoue the Truth which himselfe from time to time since before the beginning of Q. Elizabeths raigne vntill this present hath wrought doe euidently confirme and prooue For is it possible that our late famous Queene of euer-blessed memorie and our now Soueraigne the Kings Maiestie should haue escaped the many pitts that haue beene digged for them and not haue fallen therein Is it possible that Queene Elizabeth full of yeares but fuller of Renowne should haue liued vnto a gray-headed age and quitely dying in her bed to be maugre all her enemies brought in peace vnto her graue Is it possible that this present State wherein wee liue should now haue a Being seeing that Hell the Pope Recusants Vt obiter notē The word Recusant now so cōmon vntill the 11. yere of Queene Elizabeths Ragine was altogether vnknowne as may appeare by all Statutes and Acts of Parliament before that time made wherin there is not a word thereof at all vntill which time all Papists some very few excepted notwithstanding that the Religion then professed in the Church of England was the very same that it was in the former yeares of her Raigne came ordinarily to our Churches nor was disparitie of religiō any cause of Recusancy vntil such times that the roaring Bull of Pope Pius 5. for then the land began to swarme with Recusants was published and Queene Elizabeth by him Anathematized Then the case was suddenly altered those who before frequented our Churches now withdraw themselues from our Society Those who before yeilded obedience to hir Maiestie now would not acknowledge her for their
thy vsurped authoritie Let such as expect Donations of other Princes Kingdomes from their grand traÌ„slator of Empyres the Pope the diuels substitute as Philip the second of that name King of Spaine did vpon whom Pius Quintus or rather Impius intus the diuels vicegerent then at Rome conferred the Kingdome of England but all the craft was in the catching instanced and approued as an act lawfull by Azorius the Iesuite in his morall institutions part second booke eleuenth chapter the fift circa medium capitis Let such Princes I say adhere to the Pope subiugate their neckes to his trampling but let those whose cause is good succession lawful spirits more mâ—gnanimous and of a better mettall their subiects hearts generally firmely assured the word of God which is trueth it selfe on their side power and abilitie to withstand and offend him and all his vnholy confederates free Princes next vnder God in their owne Dominions Let these I say all learne of that renowned Queene Elizabeth this resolute saying rare amongst men but not to be paralleld by any woman If my religion be allowable if my mariage lawfull if my succession rightfull by the Popes Dispensation then is it so also without it and God willing I will maintaine it without him who of his power can make it no more lawfull or vnlawfull then of it selfe it is without him for against the word of God there lieth no Dispensation And let great Great Brittaines King make it known for an honour to him and his posteritie that great Elizaes spirit lodgeth in his Brest Though happie she in peace with God doth rest Thus holding Poperie to be an hotch-poch of new religion coyned in the mints of the Babylonish whore who contendeth to aduance her Kingdome aboue the Kingdome of Christ by all meanes that themselues or hell it selfe can inuent by crueltie by blood by deceit by abusing the word of God by equiuocation by what not yea she hath so taught her brats the Priestes and Iesuites and infinite others by them seduced to sweare and forsweare to promise and protest by whatsoeuer can bee named although they haue no purpose to make good any of their vowes in this kind as that they haue almost left no means whereby a man may be assured of anothers intentions although he vowe it neuer so seeming seriously Call to minde the great and serious protestations that Watson the Priest made in his Quodlibeticall questions That albeit he differed in religion from that which was professed in the Church of England yet if either Pope or Spaniard should seeke by hostile meanes to inuade his countrie hee would willingly spend his substance nay his dearest blood against any such as should attempt it and yet he himselfe was the first afterwards as I remember that came to the gallowes for violating it If I could find any thing that good is in either Priests or Iesuites I would commend them for it but because I cannot holding them all to bee traytors in heart vnto his Maiestie and their fauourers to be scarcely good subiects I will end for their coÌ„mendations with the words of a late but wittie Satyrist Fâ—uet illis quisquis de illis tacet FINIS a Vide Torturam Torti paginis 131.132 b Three conversions of Eng part 3. in many places c English Martyrologe by J. VV. Priest Anno. 1608. d VVatson and Clarke executed at VVinchester in An. 1603. Novemb. 29. Stowe Henry Garnet had 6. names to wit Gaâ—net VValley Darcy Roberts Farmer and Phillips Likewise Edward Hall alias Oldâ—orne Likewise Oswaâ—d Tesmund alias Greenway Likewise Thomas Garnet alias Rookwood alias Sayer with many others f Three conversions of England in page 426. and many pages therof besides Ianuary 7 Page 7. Ianuary 11. Page 10. Ianuary 14. Page 12. Ianuary 20. Page 18. February 3. Page 32. March 17. Page 17. Aprill 3. Page 86. Aprill 9. Page 92. May 2. Page 116. Maye 18. Maye 22. Page 134 Iune 2â— Page 167. Iuly 2. Page 178. Iuly 25. Page 202. August 6. Page 216. August 27. Page 233. September 7. Page 244. October 7. Page 372. October 8. Page 374. NoueÌ„ber 20. Page 320. DeceÌ„ber 23. Page 350. g D. Barlow in his answere to M. Broughton 1610. h The booke at large worthy to be writteÌ„ in letters of gould is this yeare newly and well printed by the Companie of Stationers in London The Miracles that god hath wrought for confirmation of his gospell Two miracles of miracles The 1. The 2. The Iesuits reported in Spaine that there was no such matter as the gun-powder Treason Related by the L Cooke at the Earle of Northumberl conviction in the Star-chaÌ„ber Iune 27. 1606. Childish and strawish Myracles In your supplication to the kings Maiestie Anno. 1603. An. 1604. in many places thereof as also in diuers other treasonable bookes since by you set forth and dispersed * Tortura Torti Page 83. The Starre-chamber Omne animi vitium tanto conspectus iâ— se crimeÌ„ habet quanto maior qui peccat habetur The now L. Cooke The Lord Archbishop of Cant. The word theÌ„ vsed was To hold an Axe ouer the Kings head The L. Zouch Vide Tortûrâ—Ì„ Torti Pag. 83. Promâ—ssa nescio quae commeÌ„ti sunt quae tamen nulla suerunt quod factuÌ„ nunquaÌ„ est id fuisse tamen factum in vulgus spargebant vide the Earle of Northamp printed speech at Garnets arraignment in pag. 1. of Aâ—a The Earle of Salisburie in his answere to certaine scandalous papers D. Reynolds in his preface before his coÌ„ference with Hart. D. Morton M. Stocke with many more Greenewell Garnet Reported at his arraignmeÌ„t in VVestminst Hall Ianu. 27. 1605 mentioned in the Earle of NorthamptoÌ„s speech in the first pag of L. Confessed vnder his owne hand in an examination openly read in the Star-chaÌ„ber at the coÌ„viction of the Earle of Northumbert Iun. 27. 1606. Confessed in diuers examinations vnder their hands openly read the time and place aforesayd Simile These forward spirits as they wold be thought for the Kings Succession would yet haue bereft vs of his head before the Crowne had adorned it Tortura Torti Page 84. See the Catholique supplication to the kings Maiestie in Ann. 1604 neere beginning thereof See your supplication to his Maiestie Anno. 1604. chap. 5. Also in the first part of Engl. three Conversions neere the beginning thereof Mentioned in M. Fox his booke of Martyrs in the very beginning of Q. Maries Raigne a Bristow in his motiues 15. Chap. 73 calleth these Martyrs Aboue 1000 of thes saythe lay Catholiques in their SuplicatioÌ„ to the Kings Maiestie 1604. abandoned their liuiÌ„gs rather then they would chaÌ„ge their religioÌ„ Also the three coÌ„uersions of England part the first page 264. a Three conuersions page 265. Of Priests aboue 100. haue Sealed the confession of their faith with blood within 40. yeeres A small nuÌ„ber in comparison of 278. martyrs in lesse then sixe yeeres a Vide Pope Sixtus the 5. his oration vpoÌ„ the death and murther of Henry the 3. French King by a Fryar Ne misericordia in inimicos fit crudelitas in se suosque a Printed in Anno 1608. as hee saith Permissu superiorum a Vide Fox his booke of Martyres in Queen Maries raigne b Vide the Lord Burleigh late Lord Treasurer his booke intituled Execution of Iustice for treason and not for Religion c Earle of Northampton in his priÌ„ted speech at Garnets arraignemeÌ„t in the fourth page of the letter GG d Their refusall of the Oath of allegeance proueth what they hold in this point and the Popes gift of Ireland to the King of Spaine mentioned by Azorius the Iesuite in his institut moral confirmeth it a Vide Faux his confession with others mentioned in the afore quoted page by the Earle of NorthaÌ„pton Confer also herewith Catesbies answere to Garnet in the last page of R. and also in the last page of T. of the former booke his words are If it were lawfull not to admitte of the Kings Maiesty at first warranted by the Popes Breeues then was it also lawfull to cast him out b This trebble bond theÌ„selues whiles they laboured to seeme good subiects acknowledged in their supplication to the Kings Maiâ—stie chap. 5. neere the end thereof Agreeable hereto is the Earle of Northamptons sound maxime in the last page of FF in his speech to Garnet c Scienti volenti non fit iniuria d Besides this Priestes confession agaiÌ„st themselues see also for thy better confirmation in this point the iudgement of two great Counsellors of state in their seuerall writings published by the Earle of Salisbury in his answere to certaine scandelous papers in the third page of C. and the Earle of Northampton in his speech at Garnets Arraignement in the letter HH in diuers pages thereof e This Thomas Garnet is the last that our Pseudomartyrologist I. W. Priest hath noted in his Beadroll to haue suffered in King Iames his raigne a D. Reignolds conference with Harts in Harts owne Preface therto b Relation of the state of religion in the west part of the world neere the beginning therof b Azorius in his institutions part 2. booke 11. chapt 5. a A strange thing that the Pope claiming to bee but Christs Vicar should yet challenge a larger power theÌ„ euer Christ himselfe did for Christ confessed that his Kingdome was not of this world and yet the Pope will be a disposer and setter vp and puller downe of Kings and Kingdomes at his pleasure b In his booke of Quodlibets c Here was Mel in ore fel in corde a smooth tongue but a treacherous heart d Conclaue Ignati in Apologia pro Iesuitis ad finem libri adiecta